Chapter 497

Chapter 497: Long Life Lock

The Lingxiao Treasure Hall is a vital place in the heavenly court, ranking first among the one hundred and eight palaces.

Even in this important location, everything was now ruined, filled with broken walls and remnants, clearly having gone through turmoil that even a young grandmaster of such a Mahayana cultivator could scarcely imagine.

Even if it is broken, the remaining ruins cannot be shaken by him, a Mahayana cultivator.

However, in this Lingxiao Treasure Hall, there is one thing that is relatively whole.

That is the Heavenly Emperor’s throne.

The Heavenly Emperor’s throne is not special; although it is made of unimaginable celestial metal, it is not fundamentally different from the other things in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

The reason it remains relatively whole is because of the person sitting on the throne.

After this Lingxiao Treasure Hall, Qiao Mu and his four flesh clones battled fiercely with three Mahayana cultivators.

However, no matter how intense the fighting was, the aftermath did not disturb the Heavenly Emperor’s throne at all.

This is not because the young ancestors and others have respect for the Heavenly Emperor; even in a life-and-death battle, they were cautious and held back with their spells.

Rather, it is because even in death, the Heavenly Emperor’s body still possesses a mysterious aura.

This is the way things are.

But when the young master looked at Qiao Mu and the Heavenly Emperor’s corpse squeezed together in a chair to avoid his magic, he felt confused.

He seemed to understand, but he was still very shocked.

"This is the Heavenly Emperor’s body…" the young master couldn’t help but exclaim.

"Indeed, with the help of Brother Heavenly Emperor, you, a mere cultivator from the human world, should just prepare for your end!"

Amid the loud shout, Qiao Mu exerted himself and unexpectedly made a move that shocked the young master.

He raised the Heavenly Emperor’s corpse with both hands, like a swordsman holding a sword, and swung it toward the young master.

"You?! How can you do such a disrespectful thing?"

The young master was both shocked and angry. Just as he was about to use his hands to form a spell to block, he suddenly felt something and quickly stepped back using the Heavenly Dragon Eight Steps.

True strength swept through, causing the Lingxiao Treasure Hall to shake slightly, and the protective tower above the young master’s head suddenly darkened.

Fortunately, he had the sudden urge to fly back in time, narrowly avoiding danger.

"Your purity is too low." Qiao Mu raised the Heavenly Emperor’s body as if lifting a heavy mountain, his bones cracking under the strain, sounding overwhelmed.

"Grass, trees, sand, and stones can all be swords; why can’t a person be a sword?"

"Using a sword as a sword ultimately leads to lower skills; using a person as a sword is the true high-level sword technique."

"Nonsense." The young master did not dare to confront the sharpness and kept dodging inside the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

The Heavenly Emperor’s corpse was not a sword, and just lifting it with his hands put more strain on Qiao Mu’s already injured body, making his sword movements less precise.

It was like a child swinging a heavy sword, with obvious awkward movements and many flaws.

Yet even in death, the Heavenly Emperor remained bound by All Laws are Inviolable; the techniques could not be cast on him, leaving the young master in great difficulty to approach.

"If you can’t match their sharpness, then you should avoid it."

The young master’s gaze gradually became cold.

As one of the founders of Jiu Province Spiritual Refining Martial Arts and the Immortal Gate, he carried no burden of identity.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly retreated, planning to leave the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

After the death of Patriarch Lingxu, he waited for half an hour and then bombarded the Lingxiao Treasure Hall for another half hour.

He was very patient; let alone a few hours, he could wait for several more days without a problem.

"Want to leave? It’s too late."

Qiao Mu naturally saw the young master’s intention; he strained to lift the heavy corpse of the Heavenly Emperor, blood seeping from his many wounds.

His body was still badly injured, but he no longer cared about these wounds.

The Human Path Sutra is a method of training that gathers earth to form mountains. He has practiced for eighteen thousand years and has accumulated an enormous amount of powerful life energy, making his vitality endless.

However, after fighting three Mahayana cultivators, especially after defeating Patriarch Lingxu with the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, he has now reached a point of exhaustion. He is only surviving for a short time with the help of two flesh clones.

His powerful life energy is almost completely used up; he does not even heal his wounds, saving the little remaining strength to face the young ancestor’s attack.

"This is the last sword strike…"

"Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship!"

He flew forward, and with one stroke of the Heavenly Emperor sword, he cut through.

In the endless sea of clouds, suddenly a flash of blood light appeared.

This light was as red as blood, shining like the sun at dawn, parting the sea like rocks, and the ocean of clouds was boiling fiercely, splitting to the sides.

This blood light was fleeting.

When the light faded away, the Heavenly Emperor’s body had already fallen to the ground.

The young ancestor walked forward for two steps, somewhat confused, and the tower above his head split in two, falling to the ground.

His body also split in the middle, and a line of blood appeared from his head to his waist, completely severing him.

The flesh was completely divided, at the last moment, the young ancestor’s Nascent Soul escaped from his sea of knowledge, but even the small Nascent Soul had a clear cut on it, dim and covered in cracks.

Though he had not died immediately, like Qiao Mu, he was already on the brink of death.

At that moment, the Heavenly Emperor’s body by his side suddenly flashed.

As they looked again, the Heavenly Emperor’s body, which had fallen to the ground with Qiao Mu, was somehow back on the throne.

Wisps of milky white mist gathered above the Heavenly Emperor’s head, forming a small cloud of light white.

"This…" The young ancestor’s Nascent Soul carefully sensed the aura and suddenly showed a look of shock and anger.

"A wisp of pure celestial energy spread from the body of the Heavenly Emperor… If this is refined right away, it may not just be a simple ascension…"

"Could it be that the so-called chance to become an immortal is not in this rich atmosphere of the heavenly realm, but rather in the one body within it, the Heavenly Emperor’s corpse?"

The young master Nascent Soul stood frozen, finding it hard to accept.

This Qiao Mu showed great disrespect to the Heavenly Emperor’s corpse, treating it as a weapon to wield, which instead led to a wisp of Heavenly Emperor’s celestial energy escaping.

"By a lucky accident, this works in my favor."

The young master Nascent Soul took steps toward the Heavenly Emperor’s corpse, but as he walked a few steps, the cracks on his small figure became even denser, as if breaking apart from within.

"How frustrating, just one step away!"

The young master gritted his teeth, futilely reaching out for the pure celestial energy on the Heavenly Emperor’s remains.

This short distance of just a few steps felt like an insurmountable chasm.

His body was completely dead, and the Nascent Soul was almost split in two, suffering an irreversible fatal injury.

Let alone the trace of immortal energy that came from the corpse of the Heavenly Emperor.

Even if the Heavenly Emperor were to come back to life, he would still be unable to save him near the gates of the underworld.

The joy he felt just moments ago was instantly shattered by his furious anger, and in his last moments of life, he glared at Qiao Mu.

"You wretched being!"

The little Nascent Soul of the young ancestor was no longer calm; its face was filled with raging anger.

"Did you find satisfaction in using all your means to bring us both down?"

Meanwhile, Qiao Mu sat on the ground beside the corpse of the Heavenly Emperor, quietly raising his eyelids to look at him.

Having fought against three Mahayana Stage ancestors, he had used all his strength, showcasing the martial skills he had painstakingly developed over eighteen thousand years.

Five bodies, each wielding martial arts, surrounded and killed Patriarch Qingmu, using the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method and the Blood Meat Oven to slay Patriarch Lingxu, and finally relying on the Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill to forcefully extend life with the Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship.

By this point, he was completely drained of energy, his skills and secret techniques had all been exhausted, and all five of his lives were spent, leaving nothing in reserve.

"Of course I am satisfied," Qiao Mu said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

When he entered the Return Ruins, he had no intention of returning to the human world alive; after several fierce battles in this heavenly realm, he had exerted all his strength, merely to eliminate the Immortal Gate’s founder.

And now, after this long journey of over eighteen thousand years, it finally came to an end.

At this moment, facing death, looking back on this long journey, the boundless Long Life Dream of the past, along with countless moments of self-reflection and inner turmoil in the dream, seemed to have softened a lot.

A person’s memories often carry a warm filter.

Especially in this moment, right before death.

"I have been practicing martial arts for over eighteen thousand years."

"This life has come to an end, and I feel I have done all I can. I have gained what I needed and believe I have no regrets."

As for why the heavenly realm fell into Return Ruins, and why all the worlds have come to an end, he could not worry about so much at this moment.

Though there are still concerns about the affairs of the human world, those matters belong to the human world, and how it will be handled in the future is for future generations to decide.

Qiao Mu casually sat on the ground and gradually closed his eyes.

With all his skills used up, all five lives spent, and his spirit nearly gone, he was like a blazing firewood, completely extinguished.

…………

"Are they all dead? All of them?"

It was not until Qiao Mu completely took his last breath, and the young ancestor Nascent Soul perished, that the Ancestor of the Sword Sect finally opened his eyes.

"So, is it my turn to take action now?"

The ancestor of the Sword Sect thought for a long time. By now, he should have given up the idea of gaining benefits for himself while watching the fight.

But the pure celestial energy drifting from the body of the Heavenly Emperor was too hard for him to resist.

Continuing to practice in the ruins of the Heavenly Court might offer some hope to break through, but how could it compare to the pure celestial energy left by the Heavenly Emperor?

"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer, no need to rush…"

No matter how much he thought, the ancestor of the Sword Sect decided to hold on a little longer.

The lesson from the young Grandmaster was still fresh, and the body was not yet cold; he did not want to make a mistake at the last moment.

After a long time.

He actually noticed that there were footsteps echoing in the desolate ruins of the Heavenly Court.

To prepare, these were not human footsteps, but those of the Di Ting from Fangcun Mountain.

At that moment, Di Ting stood up. His dog-like features quickly transformed into the appearance of Nian Chao Sheng, the master of Tide Listening Building.

He still looked like a handsome young scholar, but he no longer had the calm confidence he once had.

At this moment, he was injured all over, and his eyes were dull and hopeless, quietly walking among the ruins.

"Are there still skilled fighters?" The Ancestor of the Sword Sect frowned.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. Behind the oriole, there’s a boy with a slingshot…"

With his Tao Achieving Stage skills, he naturally did not fear the injured Di Ting.

However, the strange situation made him want to observe again.

At this time.

Di Ting slightly moved his ears and glanced at the Ancestor of the Sword Sect, his expression unreadable.

"The mad and the foolish have all died out."

"But there will always be foolish people who think everyone is like them."

Di Ting stepped forward, walking slowly towards the body of the Heavenly Emperor, which had returned to the throne, under the watchful eyes of the Ancestor of the Sword Sect.

His gaze merely brushed over the wisp of celestial energy before it quickly returned to the bodies of Qiao Mu and the other ancestors.

"Di Ting, do you also want a share of the treasure?"

The Ancestor of the Sword Sect could no longer hold back; he appeared from the mist and swiftly approached Di Ting.

"Share what treasure?" Di Ting casually replied, a half-smile on his face.

"Do you really think that fighting over a wisp of celestial energy will make you an immortal? That’s truly laughable."

"A group of fools came into this Return Ruins and still think they can become immortals."

"These few people keep arguing, but their arguments are empty. It seems that only Taoist Tianshu can be considered a wise person."

"Empty? What does that mean?" The Ancestor of the Sword Sect frowned, still thinking about what to say.

The divine beast Di Ting is not known for its magical powers; rather, it is good at listening to everything in the world.

"Can you guess why Taoist Tianshu went crazy?" Di Ting smirked and said.

"Is the Heavenly Emperor his father? Did he collapse when he saw his father die?"

The Ancestor of the Sword Sect’s expression gradually became serious; all his attention was actually on seizing the chance to become immortal and avoiding other powerful people.

Now that he thinks back, he indeed finds that Patriarch Tianshu’s death seems suspicious.

In the human world of Jiu Province, there are a total of four Mahayana cultivators.

And Patriarch Tianshu is the one who died the earliest and most easily.

After practicing to the Mahayana Stage, one’s mind is as strong as iron. How could it be that upon seeing the Heavenly Emperor, their resolve crumbled and became chaotic, leading to their demise after being secretly plotted against by others of the same Mahayana level?

"Ancestor Tianshu is the founder of the Soul Predicting Path," the Ancestor of the Sword Sect said with a frown.

"In the art of divination and calculation, he stands alone in the world, unmatched by anyone else, and has always been the person who sees the farthest."

"Patriarch Qingmu of Qingxuan Road started the incense path, and the Ancestor of Long Life Gate created the Spiritual Refining Martial Art, all because of the predictions made by Ancestor Tianshu…"

"Therefore, the death of Ancestor Tianshu cannot be simply due to his resolve crumbling upon seeing the Heavenly Emperor’s corpse."

"Instead, the Heavenly Emperor’s body made him predict some extremely terrifying things, causing his resolve to shatter."

"Oh. It seems that after they looked beyond the opportunity for immortality before them, one of these fools could still think," Di Ting laughed heartily.

"What those seeking immortality desire is nothing but to ascend in broad daylight and achieve enlightenment," Di Ting said with a sorrowful smile.

"But with the heavens turned to ruin and the immortal realm shattered… where can you ascend to if even the immortal realm no longer exists?"

"Among all the worlds, the fairy realm is a very special one."

"But whether it’s Fangcun Mountain in my heart or the only fairy realm in all the heavens, both have fallen into the Return Ruins."

"So the worlds have come to an end."

"Ten thousand years ago, the spiritual energy in the human world of Jiu Province began to weaken, and the human world and the fairy realm were cut off from each other, with no more beings becoming fairies or descending to the mortal realm."

"Fairy path cultivators have differing opinions; some believe this is part of the ebb and flow of spiritual energy. If it has weakened, it will surely rise again."

"However, Ancestor Tianshu predicted that the spiritual energy will completely decline, until it is exhausted."

"But when he saw that even the Heavenly Emperor had died, Patriarch Tianshu understood… the decline of spiritual energy in the human world was just a sign; the Great Collapse that swept through all the worlds had already begun."

When the Ancestor of the Sword Sect heard this, he suddenly felt enlightened, as if awakening from a dream.

As a cultivator’s rank increases, their lifespan also extends.

To become a Mahayana cultivator, one can live for tens of thousands of years.

And once one transforms from a mortal to an immortal and ascends to the heavenly realm, they can enjoy a long and endless life, living in harmony with the universe.

Living in harmony with the universe!

But what if… even the everlasting sky and earth come to an end…?

"The heavenly realm has shattered; even the heavenly court and the Heavenly Emperor are no more. There is no heavenly realm left to ascend to."

"The countless worlds have reached their end. There is no hope for immortality; whether we break through or not, we won’t live much longer…"

"This…" The Ancestor of the Sword Sect finally understood what Di Ting meant by calling someone a fool, as if waking from a dream.

These few cultivators have waited in the small world for countless years, overcoming many hardships.

They finally waited for the opportunity to become immortals, with the Sky Piercing River flowing backward, coming to the Return Ruins to seek that chance, enduring great trials.

In the end, the struggle turned out to be for nothing; no one could become an immortal, and no one could live forever!

Only the one Mahayana cultivator, Patriarch Tianshu, figured all of this out, while the other three Mahayana cultivators were blinded by their chance to become immortal and began a long and fierce battle…

And he, the one who seemed to survive until the end, watched helplessly as a wisp of the Heavenly Emperor’s immortal energy faded away, realizing that all of this was empty…

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" The Ancestor of the Sword Sect’s eyes flashed with anger.

"You must be tricking me, trying to steal the chance to become immortal and disturb my state of mind!"

"I’ve devoted myself to hard training for thousands of years; how could your few words confuse my mind like Daoist Tianshu did, throwing him into chaos?"

The Ancestor of the Sword Sect became furious at once. He waved his large sleeve, creating a strong wind that blew Di Ting away, and then strode into the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, walking straight toward the Heavenly Emperor’s Throne.

The chance to become immortal was right before him; he wanted to be the final and greatest winner among all the ancestral masters of immortality in this world!

…………………………………………..

Qiao Mu opened his eyes again and looked around.

At that moment, he was still in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall of the Heavenly Realm, but there was no one around him.

Clearly, he had died once more and returned to the Long Life Dream.

He frowned deeply, his mind echoing a thought that countless cultivators had when facing a member of the Qiao family.

"Why am I still not dead?"

A bad feeling grew in his heart, and his thoughts sank into his Long Life Lock.

"Remaining revives this week: -1/5"

Qiao Mu: …

"0-1=-1, very reasonable. This is indeed correct, very accurate."

"So, is this just a counter?"

As he looked.

The last chain on the Long Life Lock, covered in cracks, finally shook violently at that moment and completely broke apart with a series of clear cracking sounds.

This Death Assessment: S (To become a deity and soar into the sky)

Death consumed lifespan: 50,000 (50*1000) years

Remaining revivals this week: -1/5

Current age: 18,985 years

Vital energy: 99%

"The last chain has completely broken, and this time the Long Life Dream is fifty thousand years." Qiao Mu’s expression was blank.

If the past eighteen thousand years felt long to him, then the long journey ahead would be two or three times that.

But what troubled his heart even more was the breaking of the last chain.

"Can the number of revives go down by one? Can it go down to two, three, or even negative one million?"

He stared expressionless at the Ouroboros Long Life Lock without chains, his heart filled only with despair.

Longer than an eighteen thousand-year run is a fifty thousand-year run. Longer than a fifty thousand-year run is the fact that even after fifty thousand years, the road ahead is still endless.

"So, I am ultimately a prisoner of the Long Life Lock, forever living and never dying."